There have been some reports that the Washington Redskins are looking to trade up to draft a quarterback.

I hear it's the exact opposite.

According to a league source, the Redskins are looking to trade down in the first round with the idea they will draft either Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder (pictured at right) or TCU quarterback Andy Dalton.

The Redskins, who pick 10th overall, would like to get a second-round pick from a team in exchange for moving back to their spot in the first round. They could then use their two second-round picks to bolster the defense.

For a team that doesn't have a third-round pick, this scenario makes a lot more sense than trying to trade up.

The X-factor here would be if Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert were to fall to them at the 10th spot. The Redskins would likely take him there, rather than trading back.

One team that is said to be eyeing the 10th spot is the New England Patriots, who have two first-round picks and two second-round picks. The Patriots might have their eye on an edge rusher -- like Ryan Kerrigan of Purdue -- or a receiver like Julio Jones of Alabama.

No matter if they trade down or not, the Redskins have to get a quarterback in this draft. Donovan McNabb is on his way out and Rex Grossman isn't the answer and he's a free agent.

The only quarterback on the roster is John Beck. Not a chance he's the opening-day starter, which is why a trade back in th first round makes sense.

Curtis Painter isn't the most popular fella in Indianapolis. Sure, if he's in a game it's usually because the Colts are blowing out an opposing team, but occasionally, it's because they're giving up on the dream of a perfect season. Or, worst case, Peyton Manning's hurt.

And it appears that in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Colts will be seeking to find some backup competition for Painter. Or, possibly, a successor for Manning?

Or maybe not -- the Colts might simply want to use a early-to-mid-round pick on a quarterback that can be more effective than Painter. After all, Manning isn't exactly young (35), even if he doesn't ever miss football games.

It is interesting, though, that the Colts would consider using an early pick on a backup quarterback in a season where teams are pretty desperate for signal callers; if they're simply looking to find a backup quarterback, there are cheaper options that might work more logically from the perspective of this draft class and team needs.

So it's possible that Dalton, a four-year starter at TCU who went 42-7 in college, is someone they've targeted as the poor guy who'll start for Indy right after Manning quarterback of the franchise's future.

And because many teams will be taking quarterbacks early -- Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett and Christian Ponder all figure to get drafted before Dalton -- there's a reasonable shot that Indianapolis can get him on the cheap.

Which means that more so than in most years past, the No. 1 overall spot is a first domino that could go in a number of directions. See, Cincinnati would likely take, or consider taking -- according to Reedy -- Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert with the fourth-overall pick.

But if they're both gone (which is a decent possibility), then the Bengals will turn their attention to the second round, where they'll consider quarterbacks like Mallett, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Jake Locker and Colin Kaepernick.

Which, honestly, isn't that horrible of a spot to be in -- Ponder and Dalton are considered as "pro-ready" as anyone in the draft, and would likely fit well with what Jay Gruden wants to run, offensively, in Cincy.

Getting someone who could step in right away would also go a much longer way to leveraging Palmer from jumping into retirement than would the Bengals rolling into the season with only he and his brother Jordan Palmer as roster options for signal-calling purposes.

This isn't every single winner and loser from the 2011 NFL combine, but it's five of each (and mostly bigger names) that really stood out to me. Take it with a small grain of salt, if only because the inclusion of someone like Cam Newton doesn't mean he won't be a top-five pick. It just means that his appearance at the combine didn't exactly solidify him as someone that's a can't-miss prospect. The combine almost never provides full-on proof of someone's status, but it can either answer some questions or really highlight some issues with various draft prospects.

Winners

Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska -- People were knocking Amukamara for his speed before the combine. Uh, whoops: he ripped off a 4.43 (4.37 was his first unofficial time, by the by) and proved everyone wrong. Suddenly there's a decent chance both he and Peterson are gone by the end of the top-10 picks.

Julio Jones, WR, Alabama -- So it turns out that Jones did all the combine drills with a fractured foot. That's pretty impressive. It's way more impressive when you see that he somehow managed to close the gap between he and the consensus top wideout A.J. Green.

Marvin Austin, DT, UNC -- He and Robert Quinn were two UNC guys who helped themselves (most of the other ones didn't) at the combine. Austin, the guy who helped take the Tar Heels down via Twitter, has a pile of red flags, but the athletic upside in Indy is going to make someone take a chance on him much earlier than they would have a year ago.

Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State -- To paraphrase Neil Diamond, "I'm only gonna do one thing, but I'm gonna do it good." Paea could only lift at the combine but MAN did he lift, setting the record for 225-pound bench presses with 49.

Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State -- Ponder all of a sudden finds himself generating "first-round buzz" after a strong combine (on top of a very strong Senior Bowl). Two months ago, that would have been laughable.

Losers

Cam Newton, QB, Auburn -- Newton won't fall out of the top 10 in any mock draft between now and the time the NFL Draft happens because he's an absolute mutant of an athlete. But there are clearly red flags going up everywhere from his "entertainer" comment to the possibility that he underwhelmed teams in interviews to the poor showing he had when throwing the ball.

Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas -- Even if he did perform well on the field, his press conference performance and unwillingness to address drug rumors sunk his stock to the point that there are plenty of Ryan Leaf comps floating around.

Kendric Burney, CB, UNC -- Burney ripped up the Senior Bowl but that in-game action (some folks have said ) didn't translate to measurables, and a 4.75 40 isn't exactly the speed a tiny corner wants to show people looking to invest.

Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson -- If you're going to claim that you're "100 percent" at the combine -- even after surgery -- it's probably a good idea to participate in some of the drills, you know?

Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn -- Fairley's still got a very good chance of being the top overall pick in the draft, and the dude had some pretty darn good measurables at the draft. But the gap between he and Marcell Dareus is MUCH shorter than it was a week ago.

We all know the value of quarterbacks raises as the draft gets closer. We also all know that significantly altering a player's grade based on Combine performance is a quick way to get a scouting staff fired.

That said, there is an increasing belief among NFL teams that as many as five quarterbacks could wind up in the first round, following strong performances from Ryan Mallett, Jake Locker and Christian Ponder at the Combine.

Locker, too, has unquestionable talent. His career-long struggles with inaccuracy remain a concern for many, but there was no denying he enjoyed a strong throwing session at the combine, throwing some of his most accurate passes on the deep outs, fly routes and post-corners that are generally considered the toughest throws scouts ask quarterbacks to make at the Combine. Some teams will take this as evidence that he's made strides under former pro quarterback Ken O'Brien -- and is likely to continue to do so under NFL coaching.

Perhaps the most surprising quarterback generating recent first round buzz is Ponder. His multiple arm surgeries make his medical grade the most important result from the Combine (and teams won't have these complete results for awhile), but there is no question that the former Seminole is building momentum following a Senior Bowl MVP performance and a strong showing during passing drills. Considering his intelligence, mobility and accuracy to the short to intermediate levels of the field, Ponder is viewed by some as the top true West Coast Offense quarterback in the draft.

In last week's mock draft I had only two quarterbacks (Missouri's Blaine Gabbert and Auburn's Cam Newton) projected in the first round. With virtually every one of the front office executives and head coaches acknowleding during their combine interviews the supreme value of the quarterback position and another two months for the hype around these three to build, we could end up seeing that number more than double by April 28.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Florida State's Christian Ponder is a smart, accurate passer who has the intelligence needed to be a good NFL quarterback.

The question about him was his arm. Was he recovered enough from an elbow injury that limited him in 2010? He answered that question Sunday with an impressive throwing day here at the combine.

The impressive performance, which one scout said was a big surprise, could vault Ponder to the back end of the first round.

Andy Dalton, a player I like a lot, didn't throw as well. He has to show better at his pro day at TCU. But Dalton is not the kind of kid who will throw well in an environment like the combine. Here's a bet he throws better at his pro day in March.

Cam Newton entered the second throwing session of the Combine with all of the hype, but it was Florida State's Christian Ponder who stole the show.

Ponder showed surprising zip and very good accuracy throughout the throwing session, especially in the short to intermediate levels. His deep outs and post-corner routes were especially impressive.

Newton has all of the physical tools scouts are looking for, but showed that he is still in the early developmental stages in dropping back, transferring his weight and throwing passes accurately. This led to some of his throws -- especially timing routes like deep outs -- to sail on him.